Sarah Thomas | Toledo, OH | sarahjtphotography@gmail.com | www.sarahthomasphotos.com

 

EDUCATION

2020     Cranbrook Academy of Art, Master of Fine Arts, Photography, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2013     Bowling Green State University, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Art: 2D Studies, Bowling Green, OH

 

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY WORK

2010-Present    Freelance Photographer, Toledo, OH

2013-2015        Contracted Photographer, The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH

2012-2016        Assistant and Second Photographer, Mary Wyar Wedding Photography, Toledo, OH

 

PROFESSIONAL WORK

2021-Present    Photography Lab Technician, School of Art, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

2018-2020        Photography Department Assistant: Equipment Lab + Facilities, Shanna Merola, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2017-2018        Reorder Buyer for Image Rights and Reproductions, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

2014-2022        Assistant Manager/Inventory Management/Visual Merchandiser/Lead Buyer, The Art Supply Depo, Toledo and Bowling Green, OH

2013-2016        Mural Painting Assistant and Project Coordinator, Hello Mr. Taylor (Matt Taylor, Artist), Toledo, OH

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2020-Present    Adjunct Photography Instructor, School of Art, College of Art and Sciences, BGSU, Bowling Green, OH

  Courses: ARTS 2410, ARTS 3420, ARTS 3430, ARTS 4440, ARTS 4480

2024     Summer Studio Instructor, Photography, University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne, IN

2020 & 2023     Instructor, Young Artist At Work, The Toledo Arts Commission Summer Program, Toledo, OH

2014     Teaching Assistant for Digital Hybrids class, Professor Lou Krueger, BGSU, Bowling Green, OH

CURATORIAL WORK

2021     Nature Calls, Co-curated with Ashley Beatty, Bread and Circus Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN

2020     Considering Permanence: Tell Me Where To Go, Co-curated with Antonia Stoyanovich, Ish Ishmael, and Laura D. Gibson, 1301 Broadway Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Detroit, MI

2018-2020 Curatorial Assistant for Laura Mott, Cranbrook Museum of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2019     Curatorial Assistant for Isabella Achenbach, Detroit, MI

2018     Nature Calls, Co-curated with Ashley Beatty, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

SOLO | TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2026     Paper or Plastic alongside Edward Burtinsky Solo Exhibition, with Ashley Beatty, Weatherhead Gallery, Saint Francis University, Fort Wayne, IN

2025     Paper or Plastic, Solo Exhibition, The Portal Gallery, Toledo School for the Arts, Toledo, OH

2024     Sarah Thomas, Solo Exhibition, Just Toledo, Toledo, OH

2023     Sleek: The Art of Recycling, Solo Exhibition, Just Jerry’s Gallery at The Switchboard, Toledo, OH

2023     Sleek Interventions, Solo Exhibition, Salem Financial Group, Toledo, OH

2023     Sleek Playing Field, Solo Exhibition, Bread and Circus Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN

2022     Sleek Playing Field, Solo Exhibition, Bing-Davis Memorial Gallery, Upper Iowa University, Fayette, IA

2022     Sleek, Solo Exhibition, The Art Supply Depo, Sylvania, OH

2019     Sarah Thomas & Antonia Stoyanovich, Pinboard Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills

2017     Framework with Pane, Solo Exhibition, The Art Supply Depo, Toledo, OH

2015     Disclosed, (as winning artist from Undisclosed), TSA 333 Gallery, Toledo, OH

2014     Sarah Thomas Photography, Solo Exhibition, The Art Supply Depo, Toledo, Ohio

2014     Sarah Thomas Photography, Solo Exhibition, The Bleak House Gallery, Toledo, Ohio

 

SELECTED JURIED EXHIBITIONS

2025     Aperture, Artlink Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN

2023     2nd Annual Pride Exhibition, Findlay Art League, Findlay, OH

2021     Momentum, River House Gallery, The Toledo Arts Commission

2020     The Mix: YAAW, Annual Artist Exhibition for The Toledo Arts Commission, Toledo, OH

2019     The Mix: Prohibition, Annual Artist Exhibition for The Toledo Arts Commission, Toledo, OH

2015     Variant, Leso Gallery, Toledo, OH

2015     The Mix, Annual Artist Exhibition for The Toledo Arts Commission, Toledo, OH

2014     Hair Show, Leso Gallery, Toledo, OH

2014     Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition, Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

2013     Overture II, Leso Gallery, Toledo, OH

2013     Bowling Green State University Undergraduate Exhibition, Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

2012     Bowling Green State University Undergraduate Exhibition, Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2026     Shared State, Co-Worker Gallery at Riffe Gallery, Columbus, OH

2025     Locals Only, Stu’s House Gallery, Toledo, OH

2025     Blue Bags, Artomatic 419 Event, The Toledo Arts Commission, Toledo, OH

2025     YAAW Alumni Exhibition, The Portal Gallery, Toledo School for the Arts, Toledo, OH

2024     Midwest Deals, Art Clvb hosted by River House Arts, Toledo, OH

2024     Faculty Show, BGSU, Bowling Green, OH

2024     YAAW Alumni Exhibition, The Portal Gallery, Toledo School for the Arts, Toledo, OH

2022     34th Annual Photo Arts Club Contest, Photo Arts Club of Toledo, National Center for Nature Photography, Toledo, OH

2022     Faculty Show, Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

2022     34th Annual Photo Arts Club Contest, Photo Arts Club of Toledo, National Center for Nature Photography, Toledo, OH

2021     Faculty Show, Dorothy Uber Bryan Gallery, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

2021     POST, Wasserman Projects Art Gallery, Detroit, MI

2020     Graduate Degree Online Exhibition, Cranbrook Museum of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2020     Tell Me Where To Go | Considering Permanence, 1301 Broadway Gallery, Detroit, MI

2019     Summer Show, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2019     End of Year, Curated by Jon Corso, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2018     Nature Calls, Co-curated with Ashley Beatty and Group Show, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2017     Staff Show, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

2016     Undisclosed, TSA 333 Gallery, Toledo School for the Arts, Toledo, OH

2016     Jam City, Food for Thought Annual Exhibition, Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio

2015     Festivus, The Farm Gallery, Toledo, OH

2015     Disclosed (Winner of Undisclosed), TSA 333 Gallery, Toledo School for the Arts, Toledo, OH

2015     Undisclosed, TSA 333 Gallery, Toledo School for the Arts, Toledo, OH

2013     Artomatic 419, The Toledo Arts Commission, Toledo, OH

2013     ArtsX, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

2012     8x8 Exhibition, Launch Pad Gallery, Toledo, OH

2012     ArtsX, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

 

INSTALLATIONS

2021     Plastic or Plastic Installation, Franklin Park Mall Window Display, The Toledo Arts Commission

2021     Plastic or Plastic Installation, Momentum Festival, The Toledo Arts Commission, River House, Toledo, OH

 

COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS/COMMUNITY PROJECTS

2023     Lucas County Early Voting Center Mural, Young Artist at Work, The Toledo Arts Commission, Toledo, OH

2020     100 Years of Voting Installation, League of Women Voters, Young Artist at Work, The Toledo Arts Commission, Toledo, OH

2017     Volunteer, Washington Projects of the Arts, Washington, DC

2014     Collingwood Canopy Mural, in collaboration with Hello Mr. Taylor (Matt Taylor) and Arts Corner Toledo, Black Kite Coffee, Toledo, OH

2014     Volunteer, The Toledo Arts Commission, Toledo, OH

2013     Leso Mural, in collaboration with Hello Mr. Taylor (Matt Taylor) and Leso Gallery, Toledo, OH

ARTIST TALKS

2025     Shifting Gears, SPE Conference, Detroit, MI

2025     The Creative Frequency Podcast, Episode 8, with Kent Tarbox

2024     University of Saint Francis, Fort Wayne, IN

2023     Scrap for Art’s Annual Fundraiser, Toledo, OH

2023     Bread and Circus Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN

2022     Bing Davis Memorial Gallery, Upper Iowa University, Fayette, IA

 

VISITING ARTIST WORKSHOPS

2025     Cyanotype, Clean Your Streams Volunteer Luncheon, Toledo, OH

2024-2026        Cyanotype, YAAW visiting BGSU, Bowling Green, OH

JURYING        

2026     Perspective: Photographers of NW Ohio, Bowling Green Arts Council, Bowling Green, OH

2025     Black Swamp Arts Festival, Bowling Green, OH

2025     Photo Show #43, Findlay Art League, Findlay, OH

2022     Pride Show, Findlay Art League, Findlay, OH

PUBLICATIONS

2025     Where are they now? Artist: Sarah Thomas, The Scribe, Ohio’s Arts and Culture Newspaper, Apollo Press, June Issue

2024     Featured Artist: Sarah Thomas, The Scribe, Ohio’s Arts and Culture Newspaper, Apollo Press, June Issue, OH

2022     Taking a Shot: Photographer Sarah Thomas takes new position at BGSU, Toledo City Paper, September 2022 Issue

2021     Nature Calls Exhibition Catalog, Bread and Circus, Fort Wayne, IN

2019     Forbes, Exhibition Review, Images for All-inclusive: Fantasy Suites curated by Isabella Achenbach

 

AWARDS/GRANTS/RESIDENCIES

2026     The Peanut Factory Artist Residency, Edenton, NC

2023     Best of Show, 2nd Annual Pride Exhibition, Findlay Art League, Findlay, OH

2023     Toledo Lucas County Rescue Plan Grant for Individual Artist, The Toledo Arts Commission, Toledo, OH

2013     President Suite Award Selection, Bowen-Thompson Student Union, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH

 

ANALOG + DIGITAL SKILLS

Adobe Suite: Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, InDesign

 

Cameras: Canon Digital SLR Cameras, Sony and Canon Digital Mirrorless Cameras, 35mm Manual Film Camera, Medium Format Camera, Large Format Camera, Assorted Lenses

 

Printing: Archival inkjet printing with Canon and Epson printers, printer and ink maintenance, sheet and roll paper loading and settings, hydro printing

 

Lens Based Media: Digital and analog photography capture, video capture, production studio lighting techniques, documentation of artwork, portrait photography, still life photography, landscape photography, event photography, composite photography

 

Processes: Analog black + white processes; film processing, darkroom enlarging and printing, matting, mounting and framing; archiving digital and print media; video editing and compilation, TV and media player presentation, analog to digital conversion, archival scanning, computer and software maintenance on Mac and PC.